


The Substitute

by NinjaSpaz



Series: Twitter Fics and Drabbles [9]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: History Teacher Oikawa, M/M, PE Substitute Hinata, Teacher AU, all oikawa's students are in love with the substitute, oikawa falls in love at first sight too, same tbh, that's it that's the fic, twitter drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29099601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaSpaz/pseuds/NinjaSpaz
Summary: Oikawa and Iwaizumi teach at the same high school and are adored by all their students. When Iwa misses a week of school due to illness, their students are enraptured by the substitute. Oikawa takes personal offense to this and vows to defend Iwaizumi's honor. Until he sees the substitute for himself.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru
Series: Twitter Fics and Drabbles [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701859
Comments: 8
Kudos: 119





	The Substitute

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again. I'm back with another converted threadfic. I wrote this one back in, oooh, June? The beginning here is a ~little~ different from the thread on twitter though, just to make the opening flow more like a fic and less like the ramblings of a madwoman. Note that this wasn't written with actual Japanese curricula in mind. We aren't going for accuracy here, just shits and giggles.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi have been best friends since they were kids. Their friendship extended into their adult lives where they both teach at the same school. Oikawa, History. Iwaizumi, PE. Their students adore them, and are constantly asking if they're dating or married. (They're not. Iwaizumi insists he knows too much about Oikawa to ever date him while Oikawa pretends to take offense and claims Iwaizumi is too much of a brute for him, but the rumors never cease.)

One week, however, Iwa catches a nasty bug and is out for the entire week. Their students are distraught for all of a day before they see the substitute PE teacher.

It takes Oikawa ten minutes to get his 2nd block European History honors class under control after they come from the gym.

“What has you all so riled up this morning? Don’t tell me the substitute let you all off easy,” he teases as the chattering starts to diminish.

“He’s so cool!” Hiro-kun pipes up from the front row.

“And handsome,” Hana-chan sighs behind him, eliciting a slur of giggles from the other girls in the class.

Oikawa puts on a stern frown that they all know is a farce. “Now how could you betray Coach Iwa like that?”

There are more giggles and even some of the boys laugh nervously. “We love Coach, don’t get us wrong,” Taro-kun says from the side, “but Coach Hinata is awesome!”

Coach Hinata, hmm? Oikawa feels a pang of defensiveness in his chest. Surely he wasn’t cooler than Iwa-chan. “Well, I’m glad you’re all coping well, but it’s time to return to 1789 France and the storming of the Bastille.” The class collectively groans, but they dutifully take down their notes as he begins his lecture. His 3rd class of the day goes much the same, and Oikawa is getting prickly about their fascination with the sub. He resolves to have a talk with the man about distracting the students.

During the lunch hour, he makes his way to the faculty lounge and seeks out the interloper. It doesn’t take long, and not just because his is the only unfamiliar face in the room. As soon as Oikawa steps into the lounge, his breath hitches in his throat.

In the corner, talking to Sugawara, _laughing_ with Suga, is a short man with the wildest hair Oikawa has ever seen. Everything about him shines, from his vibrant orange locks, to his brilliant honey-colored eyes, to his sun-dark skin (tan lines surprisingly visible even this deep into winter), wrapping around toned muscles Oikawa is certain were sculpted by the gods themselves. And his smile. Oikawa’s heart stops beating as soon as that blinding smile turns towards him as Suga waves him over.

He forgives his students for being so distracted.

“Oikawa! I want you to meet someone!” Suga’s grin is teasing, knowing, as Oikawa’s feet stutter before moving again to join the English teacher and the P.E. sub at their table.

His long legs carry him over to them in three quick strides, each step filling him with confidence, and by the time he reaches them, he’s smiling just as casually as they are. “You must be Coach Hinata,” he grins, extending his hand in greeting.

The shorter man stands, bowing casually before shaking his hand with a firm grip. His lips quirk up in a teasing grin and Oikawa’s heart clenches involuntarily. “What gave it away?”

Suga saves him from having to respond immediately. “Shouyo and I went to high school together. I haven’t seen him in, what’s it been, 8 years?”

“Give or take,” Shouyo replies, releasing Oikawa’s hand to face Suga again and leaving it cold in its absence. Oikawa quickly shoves it into his pocket as he listens to their conversation. “Thanks for the recommendation, by the way. I know I haven’t been back long.”

Suga waves his hand dismissively. “Anything for my former kouhai,” he grins.

Hinata opens his mouth to retort, but is distracted by a buzzing in his pocket. He frowns at the phone and then winces apologetically. “Shit. I gotta take this. One sec!” He answers the phone jovially but the words that come out are not in Japanese. «Olá Pedro! Como você está? Desculpe…» his voice trails off as he moves away.

Oikawa follows him with his eyes for a moment until a quiet chuckle from Suga snaps him out of his reverie. He slips into the seat next to Suga and leans close. “Ok Kou-chan, what the hell?”

Suga takes a small bite of omelet from his homemade bento and grins with faux innocence. “What’s wrong Tooru-kun? Cat got your tongue?”

“Who is he?” he hisses. There’s no way he would have missed a guy like that in this town. “Where did he come from?”

“From my hometown. I said that already.” Suga’s brown eyes glitter conspiratorially.

“Koushiiii,” he whines, earning a disapproving frown and a flick to the forehead. Despite their friendship, the man’s terrifying (and handsome) husband would probably kill Oikawa if he ever heard him use Suga’s given name so intimately, even as a joke.

Suga tips his head. “Ask him yourself.”

Hinata is returning and Oikawa straightens in his seat. “Sorry about that. My friend,” he explains as he sits into the seat across from Oikawa. “I promised I’d call him when I got settled but things got a bit hectic and I forgot.”

There’s a fondness in his voice when he says “friend” that sobers Oikawa, reminding him that this guy is a sub. Temporary. Like all the others.

He unwraps his own lunch and puts on his most charming smile, ignoring the quirked eyebrow from Suga. “So, Coach Chibi-chan, you just got into town?”

Hinata smirks at the nickname, and Oikawa isn’t sure if he’s pleased or disappointed in the lack of offense on the other man’s face. Suga shakes his head. “Flew in last week. Then Suga-san texted me over the weekend saying there was need for a substitute coach and here I am.”

“Just like that?” Oikawa is a planner. He can’t imagine just jumping into a temporary job like this.

“Gotta start somewhere, right?” He takes a generous swig from his bottle, a protein shake from the sloshing sound within.

“Oh, speaking of which, they told me the guy I’m subbing for also coaches the volleyball team. Suga says you’re the advisor, so I was wondering if you needed any help with practice this afternoon? I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but I can help with drills.”

Oikawa shoots Suga a warning glare, but the silver-haired man innocently examines his fingernails. He wants to decline. To say he and the team captain will handle it themselves. He doesn’t want to betray Iwa-chan. But Hinata is smiling at him so earnestly, he finds himself agreeing.

He gets through his final classes for the day and makes his way to the gym. Hinata is already there setting up equipment and laughing with the students. The sound makes his stomach flip before he can control it.

“Alright you punks,” Oikawa’s voice booms through the rafters. “Don’t think that just because Coach Iwa isn’t here, I will let you off easy today. Coach Hinata won’t let you slack either.” Hinata grins, raising his eyebrows in silent question. Oikawa nods, granting him permission to begin practice.

The man knows his stuff, Oikawa is impressed to discover. He finds a moment to ask about it when Hinata has the losing team running sprints after a friendly practice match. “Didn’t Suga tell you? We played together in high school.”

He shakes his head. “And you still remember everything this well?”

“I should hope so,” Hinata chuckles, folding his muscular arms across his chest as he watches the kids running back and forth in short spurts across the gym. He gives Oikawa a smirking side-eye. “I only retired to become a coach a year ago.”

The word bounces around Oikawa’s brain for a moment. Retired. He can’t help the full-body scan his eyes make, taking in the other man’s physique, which while impressive, was not very tall. “You played pro?” How had he never heard of this guy?

Hinata’s light chuckle washes over him, filling him with warmth. “Beach. In Brazil.” That answered some questions, but it also raised more. “It was fun, but there’s nothing quite like a hard court beneath your feet to really make you fly.”

Oikawa thinks he’d really like to see Hinata soar.

As practice winds down, he can see the younger man’s eyes yearning to be on the court. He recognizes it because he feels it too, that desire to play, to stand on the court as long as possible, that never left him even after he graduated. Sometimes he and Iwa-chan will stick around after practice and run through the same drills, keeping themselves limber for their weekend intramural club. He tells the team to leave the net up. Hinata raises an eyebrow in question.

“Don’t work too hard, Oikawa-sensei,” the captain chides him on his way out, sounding remarkably like Iwa-chan in that moment.

“You should trust your elders more,” he quips back, idly spinning a ball on his finger. Hinata watches it intently.

It’s almost strange how they don’t need words between them to know what’s going to happen next. He gives the ball to Hinata. Hinata passes it back. He sets it. Hinata leaps. And he soars.

_WHABAM_

The ball slams into the other court. Hinata’s eyes shine. His smile is radiant. Oikawa tosses to him a dozen more times, his heart flying with every leap. He has no idea where this guy came from, but he is not letting go now.

That night he texts Iwaizumi to see how he’s feeling.

//Doc says I should be good to go in a couple days.

//Hmm. Shame. Have you considered maybe faking your death?

//...alright who is he, Shittykawa?

//☆⌒(ゝ。∂)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope to someday revisit this AU and write an expanded story in it, but we'll see. 
> 
> Sorry for the lack of brand new content lately. Big Bang has consumed me and until it is done I am not allowing myself to work on anything else. Just a couple more weeks though! I am so excited for you guys to read it! Before then, I'll try to post another old threadfic or two!
> 
> As usual, if you liked this fic, please comment, kudos, or drop a line on [twitter](https://twitter.com/anininjaspaz)! See ya!


End file.
